


Playtime

by Doceo_Percepto



Series: A Noncanon Version of Little Nightmares II [5]
Category: Little Nightmares (Video Game)
Genre: Can Six just be a warning, Cannibalism, Gen, Kids playing, Self Indulgent Crap, TAM divergent, kids being kids, kids eating each other also, six - Freeform, you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 16:02:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21412867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doceo_Percepto/pseuds/Doceo_Percepto
Summary: You and Six find a playmate. It ends badly for him.
Series: A Noncanon Version of Little Nightmares II [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652644
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	Playtime

Opportunities to play are few and far between, as almost every step is haunted by watching eyes and monstrous adults. 

You and Six find your chances, though, brief ones when you’re squirreled away in hiding spots or junk yards, places where people tread only rarely. These moments to play are ones you cherish. They’re moments where you can drop all the fear just for a bit and be kids again, like you should have been from the start. 

One time, early in the morning, the two of you come across a defunct playground, which is rotting and decaying. There you meet another boy, huddled up and miserable, who shyly introduces himself as Blue. Blue’s got, predictably, bright blue eyes, and he wears faded clothes that are torn to hell. He, like most kids, hasn’t had a great start to life. Undoubtedly, he’s seen unspeakable horrors, and narrowly escaped more than one terrible death. Not that you ask about it. Those aren’t things kids really want to talk about. 

Instead, Six greets him with a mischievous smile that you’re so familiar with. The message is clear: no need to bring up any murky, unpleasant thoughts. There aren’t monsters nearby right now - so why not play?

It’s incredible how swiftly the despair on his expression melts away, and a returning smile proves he takes to the idea instantly. Every kid needs a break sometimes. 

Six begins with tag, yet ultimately the game evolves into something much more rambunctious, entirely lacking clear rules. There’s a lot of running, jumping, tagging, ducking, and diving: you frankly have no idea who’s winning or what the objective even _is,_ but it doesn’t matter at all. You’re all three laughing like the world isn’t broken, like you’re not thinner than kids should be, like you’re not caught up in the mistakes generations before you made. It’s honestly bliss. It doesn’t _have_ to make sense. You just feel lighter than air, happy enough to jump and whoop - and so you do. The playground itself becomes your jungle, and the three of you climb all over it and chase each other around.

At some point, though, Six and Blue both have you beat with their energy, and you slow to a halt, panting and grinning like a lunatic, while Six and Blue run in circles around each other. It makes you chuckle to watch them, as they begin some sort of territory-claiming game: Six declares the monkey bars hers by tracing a circle around them in the dirt, and Blue declares the slide his by doing the same and marching importantly at the borders. Well, you need territory, too!

You rush in, and quickly trace a circle around the swings. Half of them are broken and hanging lifelessly by their chains, but hey, the monkey bars are rusty, and the slide’s got a hole in it. Nobody’s territory is perfect, but you’ll protect yours. Puffing out your chest, you stand importantly at the border. _Yours_. 

Six throws you a look like she’s conspiring to invade your territory, but Blue has her beat. In her distraction, Blue darts out of his territory.

While Six is still looking at you, you see her eyes change. You see them darken wickedly, and her teeth flash in a feral grin. She knows he’s coming, all right. And she’s ready. Right as Blue crosses the line behind her, Six spins around and pounces on him. He crashes to the ground with her on top like a cat that has just caught its prey. 

Adrenaline surges: it’s a sharp electric rush, half-terror half-anticipation, and it steals your breath away. _She’s going to kill him. _The reaction is impulsive, trained from personal experience. You can no more help it than you can help any other reflex. 

Then Blue shoves her off and she flops to the ground. The two of them giggle ridiculously. 

Right. She’s just playing. Not eating. Obviously. You laugh to let out the tension, and rub the back of your neck. Dang. You… you overreacted there. She’s not hungry right now. You're always mindful of that, and wouldn't have let her play like this if she was. So it was silly to leap to that conclusion. Geez. What’s weird is that you almost feel… disappointed. Well. It’s not too weird. Given the right circumstances, the right mood, you do like to watch Six hunt and eat. You shake your head hard, not wanting to think about that. 

It takes some time for your heart to slow while Blue and Six wrestle on the ground, Six growling for extra emphasis. A few moments later, the two detangle as Blue springs up. He holds aloft something silver, shiny: Six’s lighter. Hollering over the spoils of his battle, Blue sprints away, lighter held victoriously above his head. 

You huff a laugh, while Six lets out an enraged squeal and flies after Blue in pursuit. Their race swings around the playground and slingshots back towards you. Blue ends up passing inches away from you, and before you even realize it, he’s snatched the paper bag straight from your head. He laughs maniacally as he flies by. 

You slap your hands stupidly on your head, as Six zooms past as well. 

He stole your paper bag! Now he’s holding it above his own head as he high-tails away, another spoil of battle. 

Oh, now it’s on. 

Letting out a war cry, you join Six’s pursuit, while Blue yelps and leaps onto the jungle gym. While Six bolts after him, you skitter to a stop, and fling your glance at the jungle gym as a whole. If you and Six both hop on behind Blue, he can reach the other end and hop off. Better to corner him in the middle. So you quickly shoot off in the other direction, scramble up the rock climbing wall, and then beeline straight for Blue. On the other side of him, Six flashes a smile and a thumbs-up, but Blue has anticipated the problem. He halts right in the center of the jungle gym, which happens to be the wobbly wooden bridge. Six is already rushing behind him; there’s no time for him to think. He hauls himself over the side of the bridge, hits the ground running, and he’s off again.

Thwarted! Six leaps off the side after him, and you quickly follow. Out into the field the three of you run: a field that maybe once was for soccer or something similar, but now it’s wild and overgrown, with brambly bushes, winding roots, and grass that in some places comes up to your knees. Here the three of you are inevitably forced to slow, and Blue’s ducking head keeps disappearing behind bushes. 

In favor of running, Six begins to pace, her gaze scouring through the foliage, a little smile at her lips. Something about it gives you pause. Makes something funny twist in your stomach. She’s pacing like a tigress. It’s eerily deliberate, almost analytical, familiar… Then you get it. Right now, she resembles what she looks like when she’s ranging the streets with you, an eye out for danger and movements at every corner. Except here, her eyes are fixed only on Blue, and her expression isn’t fearful but anticipatory. There’s no adults or monsters around to look out for. 

She’s… hunting. 

Like she’s going to eat. 

You’re being paranoid, just like when she pounced him. You’re overthinking her actions. You've seen too much of what she can do, what kind of power she has. And now you’re over analyzing her play. This is just _fun_. Doesn’t have to be anything more than that. Maybe you don’t entirely mind if it is something more, though. Shaking your head, you fall into a similar prowl, moving away from Six so that the two of you are walking in sync, but gradually further apart. This way you might ultimately trap Blue between the two of you. Across the field, Six keeps flashing you clever looks that send electricity coursing through you.

The thoughts about her hunting return. It’s not like you haven’t seen her eat, many many times. Enough times to have grown a certain level of comfort with it, especially if you know it’s coming. It twists up weird in your stomach to think that’s what you’re doing now. Hunting. For prey. 

She’s not hungry, so you know that it isn’t really what’s happening, but… for a second, it feels good to play into the fantasy. Just a little. Your eyes rove through the thick overgrown bushes. He’s gotta be here somewhere… The space between you and Six widens. Further, further. Half of you is beginning to wonder if Blue hasn’t just escaped off the field entirely, when there’s a high-pitched squeal, a thud - you jerk your head to the side, and just barely glimpse a flash of yellow. Blue cries out, like a dog that’s been trodden on. Hah! She got him! 

You start heading her way, but before you reach her, Blue rips himself free and stumbles out of the brush. He doesn’t have the lighter or the paper bag. He’s not laughing anymore either. One hand is clutching his arm, from which drips a liquid tellingly red. 

Shock stalls your footsteps, just as Blue swings his head up and meets your eyes. 

A _help_ begins to form at his lips, but it dies a quiet death. There’s something in your expression he doesn’t like. Something that scares him. You wish it scared you more, but it doesn’t. 

He takes off running, and shortly after, Six clambers out of the bushes too, her mouth stained red. She licks her lips; her gaze is wild, eager. She waves at Blue’s retreating back frantically like, _hey! What are you doing letting him go!?_

She doesn’t _need_ to eat. That much you know right now. But she wants to. And she’s made a game out of it. You don’t think, this time, and you certainly don’t overthink. With a giddy whoop, you streak after Blue. You might not be the fastest, but he’s got the both of you chasing him, and he’s bleeding. Weakening. There’s an undeniable vigor as the both you dart in the darkness, stalking his weaving body. An excitement. A hunger, even if you aren’t the one who will be eating. You feel… _alive_. Legs churning, heart pounding, lungs burning. So intensely you’re almost light-headed, but you’ve never felt so powerful, either. Your longer stride outstrips Six’s. You’re grinning, thinking, _hah, beat’cha!_

As if hearing your thoughts, Six yowls behind you, offended, but there’s no stopping you now. The distance between you and Blue closes - then he trips; you leap; both of you slam into the ground hard enough to knock the air from your lungs. Head over heels you skid until you end up on top, pinning Blue down, and your grin is probably just as feral as Six's can be. 

“Stop!” His spit sprays in his panic. “I don’t want to play anymore, I don’t want -“

Six crashes to her knees beside you. 

He emits a squeal, struggling to shove you off, but the more he struggles, the harder to work to keep him pinned. It makes the blood pump in your blood faster, makes you almost breathless. “Hungry?” You manage to utter.

Six, ever troublesome, shrugs and giggles like ‘eh, not really.’

“Pff! I’ll just let him go then!” You threatened, raising your hands off him. Blue takes the opportunity to claw away, nearly unseating you, but Six’s yelp has you quickly grabbing him again. “See, that’s what you get,” you tell her in jest, smirking. 

She sticks out her tongue and shoves you lightly. 

Blue says a word very inappropriate, “what is WRONG with you? LET ME GO!”

“Six-?”

She crosses her arm over her chest and does a small courtesy bow. _If you insist._

Then, in the next second, her teeth are in his throat. Always, always that gets you, a sharp jerk of shock in your innards, something frightening but so good. Hot blood soaks your hands. Her teeth are goring him so very close to your own skin, but you trust her, you trust her with all of you. Blue’s body jerks and spasms in ways no normal person does in every day life. He shudders the way only dying people do. You barely breath, enraptured, horrified, so so much red staining down his front and spilling and squelching between your fingers, under the dark dark sky. The sickening noises resonate through you, makes shivers race up and down your spine. 

It makes you forget, for a moment, everything. There’s just this moment, the intensity of her feeding, both horrible and incredible. Nothing else. 

Then you snort a wild laugh. It’s really not that hilarious, it’s just - you had a funny thought. 

Six raises her head, lips dripping blood and viscera. She tilts her head to the side. 

Through your laugher, you do your best to explain. “Nobody - nobody ever - ever told you not to play with your food, huh?”


End file.
